Energy Efficient, Fast, Retains Nutrients and cooks to perfection.

Energy Efficient, Fast, Retains Nutrients and cooks to perfection. - The Microwave Since the Introduction of microwave oven technology way back in 1945, this form of cooking & reheating has grown rapidly and it is fair to say that the modern day microwave oven has moved on from those early days. For over 30 years, RH Hall has dominated the foodservice industry in microwave know-how. The microwave oven, in today s commercial kitchen has become a vital piece of equipment, says Ray Hall, managing director of RH Hall. With technology developing at a rapid pace and with the ability to do everything from roast, bake, grill, steam or simply reheat, you will find many kitchens with several machines designed for different tasks. Ray Hall adds, Microwaves are also very energy efficient, in fact, when cooking vegetables, they use three times less energy than that of a gas hob. When you add the fact that some vegetables retain up to 85% of their vitamin C content, compared to

around 15% when boiled in a saucepan, they are a very attractive option in today s energy and nutritional conscious world! With so much on offer then, how do you choose which type is correct for your catering establishment? Microwave or combination microwave? The modern microwave oven in today s dynamic commercial kitchen has become a vital piece of equipment for defrosting and rapid reheating of pre-cooked foods. In fact, today s catering kitchen often has several in use to meet today s busy and fast demand for efficient menu serve and table turnaround. If you require the microwave to be used mainly for the simple reheat and defrosting of foods then a straight Commercial microwave will suffice. However, if you wish to reheat and cook food products then a microwave convection oven is well advised. Items such as pastry will become soggy if reheated in an ordinary microwave whereas using a combination microwave convection oven the crisp golden brown and conventional finished result will be achieved however in microwave time! It is likely that most caterers have a need for reheat, defrost and cooking tasks and in this case, it is recommended that both a combination microwave oven and a microwave oven be both purchased. A combination microwave oven will not replace the need for microwave oven and visa versa. These two types of oven work extremely well in tandem together. For example, whilst reheating /cooking pastry products using the combination model the ordinary microwave is available for all your straightforward reheat/defrost requirements. The features available today allow a choice of manual and programmable models and some even allow the chef to enter the detailed names of individual dishes and daily/weekly specials (as with the Maestrowave Combi Chef 5+)

What size of microwave and what features? It is also very important to choose the correct microwave oven wattage. You need to choose an oven with sufficient power, but just as importantly, do not over specify. If too low, you can be frustrated by delays, and if too high, it will be difficult to judge the timing of small portions. The wattage determines the speed of reheat/cook times. Genuine commercial microwave ovens start at 1000 watts and go up to 3200 watts. The most popular outputs are 1000, 1200, 1500 and 1900, as these output sizes can all be run from a standard 13amp socket and are generally fairly compact in size yet big enough inside to accept a good-sized dinner plate. The Sharp and Maestrowave ranges are good examples of this popularity. Whilst it is common for chefs to choose speed (the higher the output the faster reheat times), it is very important to understand that for some food products too much speed will destroy smaller portions of food or the delicate and sugary types of products. The higher output models (above 1900 watt) are designed for the reheating of larger portions of food and as the oven cavity sizes are much larger than the regular commercial microwave the requirement of more microwave output is vital to aid more even cook/reheat result. A great example is the newly launched Sharp R1900m. Designed with incredible flexibility in mind the new Sharp R1900M Dual Control is a must for heavy-duty use. With its 1900 watt power this is a very fast microwave that has an extra heavy duty build quality, but still runs off a standard 13 amp plug, has two control panels and is capable of programming up to 100 of your favourite menus. It should be remembered that microwave oven technology cooks from the outside in! Only up to a depth of about 2.5 inches, the rest of the cooking/reheat process is through natural conduction, as conventional cooking, however the microwave has the

advantage of reaching a depth of 2.5 inches immediately, therefore providing a much faster result than that of conventional cooking. Choosing a microwave with variable power is also very important, as this will allow more dense food products to be reheated/cooked slower allowing for the conduction of heat to work through to the middle to avoid an overcooked outside and raw centre! The use of variable power works in the same way as your hob and gives you the exact control you need to create speed yet a quality cooked/reheat result. A further feature to look for is stage cooking. This allows the chef to program in a series of different defrost /cook / reheat tasks to allow a complete process to be carried out at the press of a button. For example, it is possible to defrost then cook and keep warm ready for serve up all in one go. Most leading brand models now have this function as standard. Build Quality and reliability This is vital in today s modern catering kitchen. When choosing a commercial microwave take a close look at the build quality and make sure it is solid enough for the intended use. Buying straight from a brochure, catalogue or on the web can be very misleading and there is a lot of quality of build differences between models. The leading brands will always be a safe bet as they are established and have built a good reputation on quality and reliability over the years. Generally, the lower advertised super priced type models should be questioned as often they are cheaper because savings have been made on the production build and quality of components/parts used. These are also simply upgraded domestic counterparts!!

Good build specification to be looked for: - Good quality stainless steel inside and out is a must! or with a commercial grade enamelled interior to aid cleaning is a good feature to! - Check the stirrer cover type used (located at the top of the ovens cavity) and ensure it is made of a solid type plastic or glass. This part is vital as it allows the microwave energy to enter the oven cavity and needs to be kept clean from food debris at all times. A more solid type plastic / or glass will aid for easy cleaning and will avoid damage when cleaning. If food is left to build up on this part, it will eventually destroy the roof liner and cause a possible burn up in the ovens cavity. - Check the control functions to ensure they are responsive and have a solid feel during operation. - Opt for a well-known synonymous and proven brand. In the event of any service issues, you are more likely to obtain a faster and more reliable back up.

Buy from a reputable and knowledgeable supplier and check out the quality of build avoid purchasing from price driven mailers unless you are familiar with what you are buying! RH Hall have an extensive network of approved distributors throughout Scotland, so an expert is always close to hand and can offer onsite advice also! RH Hall and their dealers, will provide expert advice on the correct microwave for the intended job. Ray Hall, managing director of RH Hall states, We believe in being transparent to our customers. You know where you stand with our dedicated and trained dealer network. Our terms are published, easy to understand and staff are trained to ensure that they always listen to the customers needs, establish the intended use of the equipment and if required help them create a profitable menu. He adds, With such an extensive array of microwave technology available today, the company ethos is a real benefit to the customer. It is no longer good enough to supply a box. The customer has an enormous choice and this can be confusing. Just as they are experts in their business, we are experts in ours and by listening to the customer we can help them make the right choice, not just based on price but a choice of value for money and fit for purpose, both for today and the future.

Innovation Using their extensive experience in the microwave market, RH Hall is constantly seeking new and innovative solutions for the catering market. Good examples of this are the twin panel Sharp R1900 microwave, the Combi Chef 6 with Menu Creator 1.0 and the ground breaking iwave from Maestrowave, that is not just a microwave but a fully automated foodservice solution! Combi Chef 6 Sharp R1900 iwave from Maestrowave

The R1900M Sharp Dual Control Ergonomic, Fast and Eco Friendly at the touch of a button Designed with incredible flexibility in mind the new Sharp R1900M Dual Control is a must for heavy duty use. With its 1900 watt power this is a very fast microwave that has an extra heavy duty build quality, but still runs off a standard 13 amp plug, has two control panels and is capable of programming up to 100 menus. Why Dual Control? When stacking ovens there is always the danger that operators are over reaching to operate the controls. With the Sharp R1900M Dual Control this is no longer an issue. These ovens can be stacked up to two units high with controls in easy reach of the operator, saving crucial space without compromising safety. A further unique feature is the use of three internal fans as opposed to competitor s who use a maximum of two fans. The new Sharp R1900M Dual Control has an additional fan installed to remove steam and heat from the ovens cavity.this will help prolong the life of the machine as well as provide more continuous, reliable power with no drop off in performance when the oven is running constantly in a busy commercial environment!

With a 21-litre capacity, it is specially designed to hold 2 x 2/3 gastronome dishes, side by side. The Express Defrost technology, built into these ovens, automatically speeds up the defrost process. This time and energy saving facility is perfect for a busy kitchen, working to ensure a fast and efficient service that removes the pressure from a busy kitchen. The 4-Stage cooking ability allows total control and flexibility, allowing even the most delicate items to be cooked to perfection. Add to this the ability to control double and triple quantities at the touch of a button and you have the most versatile oven yet! To ensure that the oven continues to work at its maximum ability there is an option to add the Cavity Protection System. This is a unique and simple invention for the commercial microwave oven, is safer to use, easier to clean with long term financial benefits. This invaluable accessory is exclusive to Sharp Commercial Microwave Ovens. This system eliminates build up inside the oven s cavity and roof that is likely to cause burn ups and damage, leading to costly repairs and downtime. Every Sharp Microwave Oven sold with the CPS comes with a lifetime warranty on the cavity.

Combi Chef 6 with Menu Creator 1.0 The beauty of the Maestrowave Combi Chef lies in its flexibility and ease of use. It has the ability to bake, roast, grill, steam, defrost, regenerate, microwave, boil or simply keep food warm. Now that s accelerated cooking! The New Combi Chef 6 with Menu Creator 1.0 The latest addition to the Maestrowave range the new Combi Chef 6 is to be launched end of 2010 and Ray Hall, Managing Director of R H Hall, says it has the ability to cook or regenerate a larger choice of menu. A single portion of steak and kidney pie can be cooked, from frozen in just three minutes, compared with 30 minutes in a traditional oven. The new create your own menu feature allows for up to 50 menus to be pre programmed using any method of oven, microwave, grill or combination or microwave plus oven or microwave plus grill using the turbo fan function on or off! The Combi Chef 6 features an all new operating panel with integral USB port, and is supplied with a Maestrowave USB memory stick that contains the new and unique Menu Creator 1.0 software, plus other useful menu information too.

With this new software and the advanced features of the Combi Chef 6 far greater control can be achieved across multi-site operations where uniformity of menu delivery is vital. New menus can be developed and adapted centrally using the Menu Creator1.0 software and then deployed into remote sites via an updated memory stick at the touch of a button! Errors are eliminated, with perfect cooking stages and timings all pre-programmed on the software, so quality results can be delivered time after time, improving customer experience and reducing costly waste. The beauty of Menu Creator 1.0 is that it is extremely simple to understand and operate. Loading menu information takes seconds and accessing saved menus for updating is very easy too. However, if a user requires it, full technical support is available. The system operates off standard PC software and is Windows 7 compatible. Combi Chef 5 + The ever popular and extremely versatile Maestrowave Combi Chef 5 has been given a major facelift the first since its launch back in 2000. The new model, the Combi Chef 5 +, has a fresh and modern look, attractive enough to sit front of house and features a newly designed control panel which makes the operational usage and menu creation set-up a whole lot easier to navigate. The new create your own menu feature allows for up to 50 menus to be pre programmed using any method of oven, microwave, grill or combination or microwave plus oven or microwave plus grill using the turbo fan function on or off! The new control panel has also been technically improved to provide even greater reliability and a much quicker and more precise touch and feel.

The New Combi Chef 4 A facelift for the ever popular Combi Chef 4 brings this unique product into the new family look of the Combi Chef range. It s 1200w microwave, 1900w, powerful variable grill and convection oven mode, make this an ideal machine for the busy kitchen. A unique attribute of the Combi-Chef 4 is the facility to alter cook and time modes whilst the unit is in operation essential in the pressurised kitchen environment. As all caterers will know too well, often many different foods need to be cooked at the same time and the five shelf positioning in the Combi-Chef 4 allows you to do this with ease. In addition, the grilling height can be adjusted even when the door is open. The drop-down door provides easy access and safe removal of food products while saving precious space on the table top, leaving more room for food preparation. The unit even accepts metal baking tins in combination modes and is simple to operate with accurate dial controls.

iwave - A Growing Family of Foodservice Solutions The new MiWAVE1900P range have full audit trail (e-reporting) and integral temperature probes. This is the latest addition to the growing family of iwave fully automated foodservice solutions. Due to their 1900w power they are perfect for either chilled or frozen food, ensuring quality is maintained and busy lunch/dinner times are kept to the optimum serving window. The iwave is a perfect solution for operators who wish to add a food offering to their menu without the need for skilled staff. Simple to operate: A Scan The operator makes their food selection, then, whilst holding the food item in a level position, presents the barcode label to the scanner window. Audible and visual alerts confirm the code has been read. B Place Following directions from the LED display, the operator places the food item into the iwave. C Press As directed by the LED display, the operator presses the large start button. A countdown display indicates the time remaining. On completion, an alarm is sounded and the food item is cooked to perfection. SERVE

Training Training comes in two forms - How to use it and how to look after it. At R H Hall, we train our distributors through extensive set down programmes so that they are able to offer the best advice and training to the end user. We also have recently invested in an extensive facility at our head quarters Halls Kitchen. Divided into zones, it is fitted out with the very latest equipment. This is a superb facility where both menu development chefs and our own trainers work closely together to create the ideal environment for menu planning and equipment training. Such advice as to when and how to clean the oven, service interval recommendations and the best use of the oven are just part of the training given to customers. Here are some examples. Simple regular low cost maintenance is all that is required to keep your microwave in peak health and condition. However, you can also help prolong the life of your microwave by taking three simple steps:

1. Keep the ovens cavity & inner door clean of food spillage / deposits at all times. This will avoid cavity burn ups and prolong the life of its little heart The Magnetron. This measure will also help the consistency and speed of reheat/ cook times. 2. Weekly clean the oven s filter This is located normally on the underside of the machine and is designed for simple removal/cleaning. This will ensure that the correct flow of clean filtered air is able to pass over the microwave s critical components and therefore will prolong the life of machine. 3. Regular six monthly or annual servicing. This is a very simple and low cost service, which will ensure safety and life expectancy but very importantly will help avoid breakdowns at times when you least expect or need them. The cost for a basic service and safety check should be around 35-50. Replacement parts normally encountered and required to be changed are wave-guide covers (in oven cavity) and door switches - the cost for these parts vary but are generally low cost to replace. For further information contact R H Hall s office on 01296 663400, visit www.rhhall.com Editorial contact: - Paul Williams, Value Marketing Services, 0796 607 4209, email pjpw@blueyonder.co.uk -Ends-